Sewing A Bridesmaid’s Dress
Sewing a custom Bridesmaid’s Dress
My daughter is going to be a bridesmaid this summer! All of the bridesmaids are going to be wearing off white dresses in a style of their choice. Even though I don’t do custom sewing, I agreed to sew her dress.
Before I could get started sewing, she emailed me a picture of this dress and said it was exactly what she wanted, so, we ordered it online. By the time we paid shipping and handling, US exchange AND taxes and handling charges to Canadian Customs (grrr!) it ended up being WAY too expensive for the rather cheap looking dress it turned out to be.
So back it went and off to the fabric store we went!
Choosing the Pattern and Fabric
She chose McCall’s 6646 and a lovely jacquard cotton/lycra fabric and tulle for an overskirt. Jacquard is a type of fabric in which the design is incorporated into the weave instead of being printed or dyed. The result is the design being both shiny and matte.
I will be making the bottom, more simple version, but it will have a fun tulle layer over the skirt, reflective of my daughter’s ballet days!
This dress is actually a fairly simple pattern to sew. Most of the skills are taught in Level 1 and Level 2 of the SewGood multi-level program. The bodice is lined which uses very similar skills to inserting a facing which is part of the Level 3 class.
Sewing the Muslin
Before I sew the actual dress I am going to make a “muslin” which is a test or fitting garment made from an inexpensive fabric. The purpose of a muslin is to check the fit and do all of the changes before you cut into your more expensive dress fabric. It’s well worth the extra work! Today I cut out the muslin for the bodice and I’ve basted it together, ready for my daughter to try on.
